1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for coupling an AC power cord to a power supply to prevent the unintentional disconnection of the power cord from the power supply.
2. Background Art
Servers and other computer-related devices may be powered by a power supply. The power supply has a port to connect to an AC power cord. For example, some power supplies include apertures configured to engage prongs of a plug portion of an AC power cord or a standard electrical cord.
The server may be stored in a cabinet that is configured to receive one or more servers. The cabinet housing the server may include a cable management arm that is configured to receive and retain the AC power cord that is attached to the power supply so that the AC power cord does not dangle loosely where it could interfere with the operation or storage of other servers or similar devices within the cabinet. The cable management arm is configured to slide along rail racks within the cabinet and to extend and fold in an accordion style.
When an AC power cord is connected to a power supply and the power supply is connected to a server and the server is inserted into the cabinet, the cable management arm is pushed back by the advancing server and folds into a folded or retracted state. When the server is removed from the cabinet, the power supply pulls on the plug of the AC power cord which, in turn, pulls on the cable management arm thereby unfolding and extending it.
In some instances, the removal of the server from the cabinet can cause the plug to become disconnected from the power supply which would result in a shut down of the server or other device. Such a shut down of a server may be an unacceptable situation. Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein address this and other problems.